• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Nets hope to slow down streaking Trail Blazers

Jan 14, 2008 - 2:47 PM Portland (22-14) at New Jersey (18-18) 7:30 pm EST

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The New Jersey Nets will look to sweep the season series with the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday for the first time in five years.

New Jersey has won six of its last eight games to climb back to the .500 mark despite an 86-77 home loss to Boston on Friday. The Nets were outscored, 23-9, in the fourth quarter.

"It was a combination of their defense and our shots that we couldn't make," New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank said. "There were a couple of poor possessions. We wore down. We exerted a lot of energy in the game."

When the Nets faced the Blazers back on November 21, the Nets handed Portland its first home loss of the season.

That game was well before the Blazers went on their 13-game winning streak. Portland is 4-2 since then despite a 116-109 double-overtime loss at Toronto on Sunday.

Chris Bosh had 38 points and 14 rebounds as the Raptors ended the Blazers' four-game winning streak.

Brandon Roy had a career-high 33 points and 10 assists for Portland, and made a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the first overtime to tie the game at 104-104.

Roy had seen his playing time limited in Portland's past two games because of a sore right knee and a bruised tailbone.